


They Got it Backwards

by rael_ellan



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-24
Updated: 2014-05-24
Packaged: 2018-01-26 09:51:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1684016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rael_ellan/pseuds/rael_ellan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When other people tell the story (the Commandos, the journalists, heck, even the historians) they say that Bucky came to Steve’s rescue when he was fighting a bunch of kids bigger than himself. They say that Bucky rode in on his white horse and beat the other guys and turned to Steve and helped him up, helped him home, and got a scolding from his folks for being covered in dust and dirt and bruises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	They Got it Backwards

When other people tell the story (the Commandos, the journalists, heck, even the _historians_ ) they say that Bucky came to Steve’s rescue when he was fighting a bunch of kids bigger than himself. They say that Bucky rode in on his white horse and beat the other guys and turned to Steve and helped him up, helped him home, and got a scolding from his folks for being covered in dust and dirt and bruises. 

People ask him about it, now. Stark, in particular – _Tony, remember? Tony. Howard... Howard died, Buck_ – seems to be fascinated by the idea of weak, impractical Steve Rogers. 

“Tell me again how he used to get his ass kicked on a daily basis?”

“Fuck off, Stark.”

“OK, OK, cool it, Soldier.”

Most of the time he doesn’t even have to answer. They’re history now, him and Steve, and everyone who’s everyone knows their story. They’ve even got _biographies_ (well, Steve does) and whole departments of researchers who focused on the Howling Commandos and ‘Captain America and American Ideology’. (Steve laughed when he heard about that one. The University of Michigan refused to comment.)

He was shocked the day he remembered. The day _that day_ came back. He was sparring with Natasha, matching each other hit for hit and suddenly he was on the floor, on his back, looking through the eyes of an eight year old boy. 

Bucky didn’t ride anyone’s damn horses. But Stevie always had.

“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”

It must have been comical, really. Steve was tiny, even back then, smaller than the other kids in every way. His wrists were weak and sometimes he trembled even in a July heat wave, but there he was, squaring up to two boys older and much bigger than the both of them and expecting them to listen.

They didn’t, of course, and Bucky and Steve got the beating of their lives between them. When the older boys ran off, Steve had turned to look at him, hand covering his broken nose and shaking.

“Are you okay?”

Back on the sparring mat, Natasha leaning over him looking concerned, he had started to cry.

Steve had been called to come and sit with him. He held Bucky’s shoulder and waited till the sobs subsided.

“Hey Buck. You okay?”

**Author's Note:**

> First foray into this fandom and first time writing Bucky. Hope it's OK!  
> I've checked it over a couple of times but... well. Sleep needed.  
> Let me know if you think I can improve :) (or, indeed, if you think there's no hope).


End file.
